|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 9
stranger
|
|
stranger
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 9 |
It is my understanding that the Reader's Digest will soon be publishing an article about AWAD. Many new people, eager to participate, will be showing up here, board names in hand. Are we to give the impression that posters are not welcome here? Also, consider this, if you will:
To the person or people who are responsible for the unwelcome PMs,
Do you see how all the people you have hurt and run off the board are still protecting your identity? These are some of the kindest people I have ever met. They don't deserve to be made to feel less. Not by you, not by anyone else. Please, think before you post or PM.
If care is not taken now, when the impending influx begins, it will most likely turn into a flame war and destroy what we have come to love. We must consider what we want this board to become. Newcomers have ever been welcome here. Some understand, some do not. Those that don't understand what this board is about usually move on, with no pushing or meaness of spirit required. We cannot say "You cannot play". We all play on this board. We also all love words. It is the tongue in cheek, the puns, both bad and excellent, the marvelous sense of play to be found here that brings me joy. I like the pedantry as well. It's another form of play. Let's keep informing each other, laughing together and enjoying this board. Let no one take matters into their own hands by sending hurtful PMs.
I would also counsel all to take a long look at the information they have included on their user profile page. Now might be a good time to trim any information that might attract unsavory and unwanted attention. Better to be thought paranoid now than rue the day later. I hope no one misunderstands the intent of this post.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891 |
Who are you Jeepers?
You have evidently been around for a while since you know how we interact on this Board, you know how we kid around and you know how we welcome strangers. YET you post under a stranger's title and name.
For some reason I am very uncomfortable with that.
Everybody here knows me as belMarduk. I am who I am, and I will always stand up and be counted as such. It doesn't matter if I ever have an argument with someone or if someone attacks me in a PM. No-one will take my name away and I will not let them. If I ever leave and come back I will come back as belMarduk. I will not hide and I will stand up as myself.
Why do you not?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 679
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 679 |
Dear all,
Firstly. It was not me who sent these PMs to those noted above. They are unknown to me and Jackie is a close personal friend of mine so I would never think about offending her.
I write the above sentence to put in context my explanation of the following. I left the forum twice as a reult of the petty bickering that began and persisted over the past few months. Some bad eggs still exist on the forum and it is quite obvious, from reading the posts, who they are.
I have been quite a hot head in the past few months and have berated, some say unjustifiably, some members of the board. For this I am completely and unreservedly sorry. I will personally contact these members soon about this.
My return is both as a result of personal pleads by members whom I met in person and a growing urge to continue the good fun which I experienced almost two years ago when the forum first kicked and screamed itself into life.
The things that unite us irrevocably are words. Not necessarily English words but those words with which we can communicate and have fun with be they Latin, Italian, Spanish, Greek or whatever. If we delve beyond language into the horrific relams of politics, cultural differences (of a negative persuasion), petty and gross racial differences, differences in educational levels or supremists attitudes then we have defeated the purpose of the forum.
This forum is about words!! Words, language and discussion about such. Leave everything else out. We are a global community!! What irks someone in a political field on one side of the world matters not to most of us on the other side and vice versa. Lets keep it down to words, and no more. Blood boils at a low temperature and there is no need to encourage ot to this state. If you can't be nice, discuss the above the topics on the board with good humour and decency then maybe you should consider the reasons you are contributing to this forum.
Maybe a lot of you are wondering why I, of all people, am 'preaching' after my lack of decorum but I am aware that I made a mistake and I am spelling out the reasons why I was so blatantly nasty.
The board is 99% educational, pleasant and fun!! Will that 1% please STOP! Stop being nasty and give the rest of us a chance to continue on the good work started by Anu, Tsuwm, Jackie, AnnaS, jmh, et al.
BTW. I have stated before that I know who that 'bad egg' is. I haven't received a PM from 'them' yet but I intend to send them one soon if they don't desist with their 'behind the scenes' nastiness. Especially now that they've been far from nice with Jackie. And nobody does that - nobody.
Sticks and stones may break your ones but words will never hurt you. But don't forget your sticks and stones.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094 |
I must say that I'm shocked at the recent passings. Three of our valued friends have left, and certainly there is now a gaping hole in the board.
I think that these lyrics from the Chumbawumba song One by One are strangely apt:
One by one
The ships come sailing in
One by one
The ships go sailing out
We live for words and die for words
Principles we can afford
When all our Brothers turn to Lord
Whose side are you on?
You tell the world your hands are tied
History three times denied
A sea of changes three miles wide
Whose side are you on?
One by one
The ships come sailing in
One by one
The ships go sailing out
This conspiracy of shame
Murder by some other name
Play up and play the game
Whose side are you on?
If any ask us why we died
We tell them that our leaders lied
Sold us out down the riverside
Whose side are you on?
One by one
The ships come sailing in
One by one
The ships go sailing out
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear Rubrick: Thank you for your welcome words. Particularly your stress on words.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear Jazz: Let us see more sails coming in, and fewer leaving, not planning to return.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315
enthusiast
|
|
enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315 |
I feel uncomfortable with this:
a lot of us like and love and respect someone , and desire he/ she stays with us at the Board..
and just ONE DOES something in the shadow, and HE/SHE WILL WIN !
I will send by an e-mail this post to the three leaving persons.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
But I also have to add that I personally am deeply uncomfortable with this process of hidden shaming going on - none of us know who or exactly what was involved, certainly know nothing of the context or the tone of the 2 messages to which offence was taken.... yet we risk making the whole atmosphere of the board one of suspicion, recrimination, and splits between cliques & factions. Can we please all draw back? If anyone of our regular contributors to this unique forum has caused great personal hurt I *know it must have been unwittingly. It is otherwise completely inconsistent with all that umpteen friends have shared here. Let us all breathe deeply, and stop all tendencies to start lobbing rocks - I say this as an old lag who has both caused and been given serious offence, sometimes without any such intention.  We need to all recognise the difficulties inherent in an 'airless' medium, which sometimes distorts the message sent and received. Draw back - cool down. No one died. yet...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,915
Posts229,839
Members9,197
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
614
guests, and
3
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
